


From Land and Sea

by phandomsub



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Titanic Fusion, Chaptered, Class Differences, Edwardian Period, Forbidden Love, Historical References, I Will Go Down With This Ship, LITERALLY, M/M, RMS Titanic, Rich Phil Lester, Teen Romance, Teenagers, Underage Smoking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-10 04:50:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14730258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phandomsub/pseuds/phandomsub
Summary: Phil Lester is the land, strong and fixed. Dan Howell is the sea, unruly and free. What brings them together is the very same thing that dooms them.





	From Land and Sea

The brass-trimmed trunk thuds dully as it hits carpet, studded leather settling against plush, woven wool. Sighing with the relief of its weight, Dan straightens on his feet, inhaling the lavish scent of fresh paint and furniture polish. As his gaze sweeps across the single-berth cabin, the breath catches in his chest; he had been expecting luxury, of course, but what lies before him is beyond anything he’s ever seen.

‘Bloody hell,’ he gushes, lips pulling into a wide grin.

With newfound vigour, Dan spins once on the spot, taking in the entirety of the opulent stateroom. Drifting to the four-poster bed, he gently traces gloved fingers over carved sycamore and rich, embroidered canopy, marvelling at its intricate detail. Loyalty to the Old Dutch style runs as deep as the water beneath it all – and, admittedly, like any other fifteen-year-old, Dan couldn’t put a name to the period design using intellect alone, but keen eyes had glimpsed the label above the door on the way in. The same dark browns gleam with curiosity as he moves to inspect the folding lavatory, unschooled fingertips running over the seam of its hidden basin.

At the very moment it pulls free, a bold, blaring noise sounds; Dan looks up, swiftly crossing instead to the large cathedral windows that overlook the port of Southampton. Outside, crowds of people linger on the docks, some applauding the ships’ whistle, others waving to passengers as they climb the gangways. Hundreds of bookmarked chapters and hopeful new-beginnings.

‘Goodbye, England,’ Dan says. ‘If I ever see you again, it will be too soon.’

‘You, there – boy!’

The sharp voice has Dan scurrying to turn around, hands meeting neatly behind his back. A man stands in the doorway, dressed in a stiff, white jacket; down its centre gold buttons lay evenly spaced, gleaming in clear gesture of his rank.

‘What is your name?’

‘Arthur, sir,’ Dan says, bowing his head. ‘Arthur Barratt.’

‘Well, Arthur, may I suggest you move faster,’ the steward drawls, bending to grasp the trunk by its handles and lugging it towards the wardrobe. ‘White Star Line does not take kindly to slow bellboys – especially aboard Titanic.’

**Author's Note:**

> For pretty much my entire life, I've been unhealthily obsessed with Titanic (both the movie and the actual ship). It feels good to finally use all my useless knowledge.  
> In this story, I'm going to do my best to make everything as historically accurate as possible. There may be points where I give leeway for fictions sake, though, as well as guesswork in places, as some things just simply aren't documented.  
> I'm very, very excited to write this. I'm probably going to be a little slow with updates (there will be at least two weeks between them, I imagine) but that's just so I can give you my best efforts. This is going to be my baby, I can feel it already. I hope you guys enjoy!
> 
> References:  
> 1\. [This](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Titanic%27s_B_59_stateroom.jpg) is stateroom B-59, an Old Dutch decorated first-class suite that I based the room in this prologue off. [This](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a6/68/b5/a668b5a8aa2a44b7a33276077e7311b5.jpg) is it colourised, but I don't know how accurate those colours are.  
> 2\. [This](http://www.pullmangallery.com/images/1245_1.png) is the 1910 Louis Vutton trunk Dan was bringing to the room.  
> 3\. [This](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/77/1f/00/771f00ae77c8c6075888affa1c6811ee--wash-stand-bring-it-back.jpg) is a folding lavatory.


End file.
